It’s no secret that Paris is one of my favorite places to visit in the entire world. There are literally ENDLESS amounts of things you can do in Paris. But I wanted to try to narrow down a list of some of my very favorite things after 8 visits to this dream of a city. These are the things I would recommend if it is your first time in Paris.
Cruise on the River Seine
There are countless ways that you can do a boat tour on the river in Paris. But, I have two favorites. This is literally a must do activity if this is your first time in Paris.
My personal favorite is a Champagne River Cruise. This is a more casual way than doing the full dinner, and a more upscale way than crowding onto a boat with tons of other people. We found it to be an excellent middle ground. The tour starts and ends at the Eiffel Tower. This means you can also plan to visit this area and picnic before or after. Make sure you plan to see the sparkle.
For this tour you are seated in a special section in the front of the boat. You taste 3 champagnes during the tour and learn about them as you cruise. You are more comfortable and still get to see and learn about all of the sites along the way. I also loved that on this tour the champagnes offered were from smaller local producers.
You can find the exact tour we did, and loved, by clicking here —-> Champagne River Cruise
If you are looking for a more fancy and romantic option for your first time in Paris, a dinner cruise really is an incredible experience. You get to spend quite a few hours on board, have a lovely meal with drinks, and enjoy Paris as it lights up at night. The boats have an upper deck where you can go up to get fresh air and see the tower light up at night. Some may call it corny or touristy, but I thought it was so special, fun, and romantic. It’s all about your mindset and what you’re interested in.
If you want to book a dinner cruise there are quite a number of options. This is the one we did and enjoyed, and it has live music! —-> Paris Dinner Cruise
Stay in a room with a view
We are generally the kind of people who don’t fuss too much about accommodation. I need a cozy bed and a warm shower and I’m good. But, a room with a view for your first time in Paris is truly an EXPERIENCE! It makes everything more fun and there are so many incredible options for all ranges of budget.
I have a guide to Paris hotels by arrondissement that you can find here —–> FREE Guide to Paris Hotels
So, for the purpose of keeping this post to a manageable length, I’m going to provide 3 options here!
The first is Hotel Passy Eiffel: this is your budget middleman of the three. It isn’t cheap, but for the location, and the view, it would be considered mid range in Paris. The neighborhood of passy is very local and relaxed, which is really lovely. Although this area is a bit further from some of the main sites of Paris, it gives you access to so many of the most famous Eiffel Tower viewing spots. It also makes it easy to see the tower sparkle at night and then head to a neighborhood dinner.
We booked a superior room with a balcony and the Eiffel Tower view and it was a dream. We didn’t stay here on our first time in Paris due to budget, but I think we would have loved it. I spent about every hour out there watching and waiting for the sparkle until the last one of the night each night. It is such a special experience to have a view like this.
The hotel was also extremely comfortable, well decorated, the staff were incredibly kind, and we had no complaints here at all. We did not pay for breakfast as there are a number of cafes as soon as you step outside the door.
The second is honestly my favorite, although this hotel is a little bit worse for the wear on the inside I wont lie. The hotel is called Square d’Anvers and I’m not exaggerating we’ve stayed here 6 times and are going again soon. This is also the place we stayed on our first time in Paris together. Here is why: the hotel is very well located to our favorite neighborhood in Paris, Montmartre. It is set on a lovely and lively little square. If you book the superior double or triple room you will have a balcony with a view of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Cœur!
Personally, I absolutely love the Sacre Cœur and it feels as iconic to me as the tower does, so having a view of both brings me great joy! This hotel wont break the bank for you either, but as I said, just be aware it is quite dated and very bare bones as far as comfort and cleanliness. I personally find it worth it for view & location but it’s not for everyone.
Finally, the blow your budget hotel that I DREAM to stay in one day! Although I have a lot of spots in Paris I dream of staying in! Hotel Plaza Athenee is the most gorgeous looking hotel possibly ever. If you are rich enough to stay here on your first time in Paris, please report back to me that it is as wonderful as I dream it is, otherwise I will stop saving my money and move on. * I must add that Taylor Swift just mentioned this hotel on her new album so the cost may just go through the roof!
Spend time in Montmartre
This is my favorite neighborhood in Paris in the 18th arrondissement. You just absolutely can not beat the charm of this area, although I will admit it can be very crowded at peak times of day. When we arrive in Paris the first thing we usually do is come straight to Montmartre to sit on the square, have a drink, and just soak up the fact that we’re in Paris. I HIGHLY recommend checking out a sunset from the stairs of the Sacre Cœur & also SUNRISE. Sunset is a great time as there are crowds of people enjoying it, and it is such a lively scene. Sunrise, you’ll have all to yourself and it is the most beautiful time of day watching Montmartre wake up. I highly recommend that you explore Montmartre in the morning on your first time in Paris to enjoy the peace of it all.
I love this area so much I actually wrote an entire blog post about it, you should read it before your first time in Paris —-> 15 Things to do in Montmartre
Eat Cheese
My love for cheese is never ending and it continues to grow every time I’m in Paris. I have a few favorite spots for cheese, but you also can not go wrong with popping into local cheese shops and having them help you pick out a few kinds you might like. Even the grocery store cheese here is better! If you’re looking for some “sit down” cheese tasting these are two spots I love.
Mon Bleu this place has my heart! They serve food here, and have an AMAZING Sunday brunch. We didn’t go on our first time in Paris and I wish we did. You can also go in and choose from a very large selection of cheeses. When we went, we asked our waiter to choose cheeses he thought we’d love and he did an amazing job. Paired with a perfect glass of rosé and some bread, I was in heaven here. We loved everything we tried and I can’t wait to go back.
Le 17.45 there are actually multiple locations in Paris, which makes this one a little more easily accessible. It is SUCH a fun concept. When you visit you are handed a little sheet with a list of cheese, meats, accompanying snacks etc. You check off the things you’d like (almost like tapas or a sushi menu) and then they put together a board for you with all of the items you’ve chosen! They also have a great drink selection and it is such a fun and casual spot. It’s perfect for aperitif before heading out for dinner or an evening on your first time in Paris.
If you’re looking for more food specific recommendations before your first time in Paris, check out my post here —–> 10 Places You Should Eat in Paris
Have a picnic at & visit the Eiffel Tower
I see all over the internet lately that this is overrated, or that you should go to the Arc De Triumph instead because you can then get a view of the Eiffel Tower from there. But honestly, I do think going up inside the tower is really neat, especially on your first time in Paris. It doesn’t take that long, and if you plan it for sunset you can have a picnic before or after. You can also see the sparkle from the inside, which is unique!
You must book tickets in advance and there are a number of options for ways to experience it. You can take the elevator, take the stairs, go to the 2nd floor, go to the top, there is even a restaurant inside you can dine in. I do think if you’re coming to Paris and heading all the way down to this area anyway, that it is a worthwhile experience.
Having a picnic at the tower is one of my all time favorite things to do in Paris. Whether it is your first time in Paris or 9th, no matter how many times we visit, I’ll do this every single time. We have seen multiple marriage proposals, hung out with friends, and had everything from elaborate picnics to just a quick glass of wine that we bought off the street vendors.
Tips for having an excellent picnic: shop when you are wandering the streets and gather the things you’d like for your picnic! You can grab cheese, meats, snacks, pastries, bread, etc. Make sure to grab a blanket or towel from your hotel to sit on, especially if you’re going to sit on the lawn. If you want to sit on the concrete instead of the grass you can sit over by the Trocodero for nice views too! If you’re really unprepared at the very least there are vendors walking around selling wine, beers, champagne, etc.
Stroll the river Seine
I know that I already mentioned cruising down the river, but walking down the river is a special experience on your first time in Paris too. One of my favorite walks to do in all of Paris is walking from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame Cathedral. Along the way you can shop at at the the Bouquinistes these are stalls set up that sell books, prints, unique photos, postcards, etc. We almost always end up picking something up for our gallery wall here. The views along the river are stunning as there are so many iconic buildings to see along the walk.
There are also a number of incredible photo spots of both the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame. In the warmer months there will also be people picnicking all along the rivers edge and even some pop up bars and spots to hang out along the way. The Seine is one of the most lively and fun areas to explore in Paris!
Sainte Chapelle
In my opinion this is such an underrated place to visit for your first time in Paris. You can combine your ticket with a visit to the Conciergerie as well, we found this to be worth doing. I HIGHLY recommend doing both, and getting the very first time slot of the day. We booked the first time slot and were some of the first people to enter the chapel. The stained glass inside is absolutely unreal, I have never seen anything like it in my life!
I love seeing church interiors everywhere we travel, and the Notre Dame is an incredible experience as well, but the Sainte Chappelle is so unique and special. The Conciergerie is also very unique to see, on this tour they give you an ipad that allows you to point around any room you’re in and see what it would have been like back through history. I had never seen this before on a tour and found it to be such a fun way to experience the place.
As you can probably assume, there are countless things to do your first time in Paris. This is why I keep going back. It will never be enough for me! Hopefully this helps to get you started and gives you some fun ideas for experiences you’ll love!
If you have been to Paris before and are looking for some more unique ideas, you can check out my post here —- > Unique Sunday in Paris
There are some affiliate links included in the post about your first time in Paris, if you book through them there will be no cost to you what so ever, but I may receive a small commission. This helps me to keep posts like this COMPLETELY ad free! I want my blog to be clean and enjoyable for those looking for info and ideas!